Cuiltean, SPEAN BRIDGE

Rated 5/50 by Formby1964 on 11th July 2020

"Booked a night day break here for the family and it was just perfect for us, 6 Adults and two children. I had booked on the strength of photos and comments found online with Sykes cottages. It surpasses them !! The owners Nichola and Mark are on hand just next door and nothing is too much trouble for them. the house is situated between the Commando Memorial and Gairlochy and has a ranch fenced garden with parking for 3-4 cars. Our first impression when we walked in was 'Wow- look at the size of the room!'. The living area and kitchen is very spacious with plenty of cupboard and worktop space and all mod cons in the kitchen. Our hosts had left a welcome pack of bread milk, orange juice , and not forgetting the tunnocks caramel wafers. There were also numerous cleaning products, and also bathroom products available. The living area has three large sofas, large TV with freesat channels and free WiFi. The 4 bedrooms are spacious with two having ensuite facilities. and a large family bathroom with bath and shower. The living room window has views looking towards Ben Nevis . the backdoor area has raised seating and patio, grassed area with gravel all around the house. There is central heating and plenty of hot water. The whole house was spotless and had been sanitised before we arrived. in accordance with Covid -19 Rules ( unfortunately this also meant that there was no board games or local info literature available, But Nichola had sent some information prior to our arrival, however we found that we didnt even use the board games we had brought with us). The location is ideal for touring around Loch Lochy, Loch Arkaig and beyond. We however mainly based ourselves at the Pepperpot lighthouse ( which can be reached by foot from the Cuiltean as it is probably 30 mins walk) where we had a pop up gazebo and a mini barbeque, while our kids used their Paddle boards and inflatable boat. The pebble beach is shallow and good for paddling but only for a short way out before it becomes quite deep quite quickly, water in Loch Lochy is also VERY cold and a shock to the system . I would advise that flotation vests are used for any water sports. As is always the case there is a lack of parking, and access to the loch beyond the last Canal Lock is restricted ( it is at all times accessible on foot and is only a short 10 min walk from the Swing bridge to the pebble beach at the lighthouse). We were quite lucky and managed to park in the canal workers spot, but were advised by the canal staff that this was not normally available, and there was parking on the other side of the swing bridge. There is not a 'wee local shop' but Food shopping and eating out would normally be available in Spean Bridge 5 mins by car . ( it is walkable in 1 hr, but a lot of the is on unlit roads which may be a problem in the dark) I would highly recommend Cuiltean as a Holiday home whether it is just for a base to tour around or to stay on site for the duration. 8 of us were very comfortable and not cramped in any way. 5 Stars I would like to think I will be back in the not too distant future"